Pope meets again with US LGBT group previously denounced by Vatican
October 14, 2024
» Continue to this story on New Ways Ministry
CWN Editor's Note: On October 12, Pope Francis received a delegation from New Ways Ministry, which dissents from Catholic teaching on sexual morality. The meeting with a “diverse group of transgender, intersex, and ally Catholics, including a medical doctor who provides gender transition care,” lasted for 90 minutes and was not included on the Vatican’s list of papal audiences for the day.
“The group urged Pope Francis to move past the Church’s negative approach to gender-diverse people, and to encourage Church leaders to listen more attentively to the lives and faith of LGBTQ+ people,” according to New Ways Ministry.
Sister Jeannine Gramick, who cofounded the ministry, added:
I am grateful to Pope Francis that he was willing to listen to the experiences of intersex and transgender people. It is only by listening to stories of these individuals, as well as the individuals who care for and about them, that the Church will be able to fully hear the voice of the Holy Spirit calling the Catholic community to break out of old, ill-informed teachings and practices.
New Ways Ministry was the subject of a notification by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1999) and a statement by the US bishops (2011).
Pope Francis, however, praised Sister Gramick in a handwritten letter. In 2023, he met with Sister Gramick and other leaders of the group for 50 minutes.
The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
